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Terrapin spent a big chunk of the past year working with the Public Health Agency of Canada exploring links between social finance and public health. Action on Social Determinants of Health Through Social Finance – An Evidence Review, examines the relationship between social finance and social determinants of health in order to understand the influence each has on the other to address health and socioeconomic outcomes.

Bannock Tea and Grill, based on Siksika Nation AB, thrives thanks to the hard work of its founder Alrey Brass and financing he received from Indian Business Corporation, a developmental lender based in Calgary AB.

Drawing from published research, reports and interviews with key informants in the fields of social economy and public health, the report reviews key concepts of social finance and social determinants of health, presents evidence of the links between the two, and provides approaches on how to expand social finance to address social determinants of health in the Canadian context.

“Social Finance and Social Determinants of Health don’t exist on the same conceptual level. Social finance is one of the ways in which social determinants of health can be addressed… a way of funding interventions that can focus on upstream social determinants like poverty and social exclusion.” Michael Roy, 2017 Read more →

The Cree government of Pimicikamak has declared a state of emergency after a number of suicides in the Northern Manitoba community of Cross Lake. An emergency declaration will likely trigger a short-term emergency response and while immediate mental health services and community crisis supports are needed, more attention to the root causes of despair, hopelessness, and exclusion is required to effectively address Aboriginal suicide. Read more →

On volunteering at Charlie’s…

Charlie’s Bike Joint is just East of Sherbourne on Queen Street in Toronto. My guess is that Queen and Sherbourne is one of the toughest corners in the city — lots of visible hard living. I started taking my sweet, sweet bike (circa ’86 Specialized Rockhopper) to Charlie’s for service about three years ago when I was commuting daily from the Beach to downtown. Read more →

Terrapin Social Finance

Our name reflects the slow, steady and determined nature of social finance.

Terrapin Social Finance mobilizes capital for the good of entrepreneurs, communities, businesses and investors:
where entrepreneurs have difficulty with financing, where a social license to operate is essential, where supply chains need local content, and where measurable social change matters.